How AI can help protect biodiversity

Global biodiversity is declining at an unprecedented rate, yet the tools to monitor and protect ecosystems remain limited by power, connectivity, and accessibility. These data collection tools are essential for the more than 200,000 conservationists working around the world. Today, it can take months — sometimes even a year — from the moment a device is installed to when the data is finally analyzed. Conservation moves at the speed of data. This is why we decided to re-invent how conservation science data works in the world. And today, after 18 months of development, I’m very proud to share that we’re releasing the open source solution of SPARROW (Solar-Powered Remote Recording Observation Watch). With SPARROW, we’re reimagining how conservation data is collected, transmitted, and used. SPARROW is open source — anyone can build it and use it. All the details are available on our GitHub repository: https://lnkd.in/gDy3aqTj This project, and the talk launching it, are dedicated to the conservationists who spend their lives protecting the planet’s biodiversity. At the Microsoft AI for Good Lab, our goal is simple: to give them the best tools we can build — so they have a fighting chance to protect the world we all share Here is my TED Talk about SPARROW https://lnkd.in/gGjHQk8M

It’s been a great privilege to be part of this project. From developing some of the AI models running in SPARROW to helping deploy them across sites from the Amazon rainforest in Colombia to California, USA. SPARROW represents an exciting step forward in how we collect, transmit, and use ecological data for conservation. If you work with ecological or biodiversity data, I highly recommend watching Juan’s TED Talk and exploring how SPARROW could bring value to your work: https://lnkd.in/e9AsQugb #AIForGood #Conservation #OpenSource #Biodiversity

🌱 SPARROW is here! After 18 months of incredible teamwork, we’re officially launching Project SPARROW, a solar-powered, open-source system that’s transforming how we collect and use biodiversity data in the field. I had the privilege of contributing to the AI model design and joining the on-site deployments across Colombia’s Magdalena and Amazon regions 🇨🇴, and the Peruvian Amazon 🇵🇪, bringing edge processing directly to some of the most remote ecosystems on Earth. A massive thank you to Juan M. Lavista Ferres for the opportunity and trust, and to the amazing team that made this possible: Bruno Demuro, Carl Chalmers, Zhongqi Miao, Pablo Arbeláez, Isai Daniel Chacon Silva, Daniela Ruiz, Andrés Rengifo, Guillermo Ocampo, Luana Marotti, Laura Hoffman, Rahul Dodhia, Scott McCullers, Catherine Romero, Amy Michaels, Anthony Cintron, MBA, Meygha Machado, Federico Alves, Allen Kim, Inbal Becker-Reshef and Ursula Hardy. 🙌 This marks the beginning of a new era where AI, edge computing, and open science unite to accelerate conservation around the world. Here’s to making conservation move at the speed of data. 🌎💡 🔗 Explore the open-source project here: https://lnkd.in/eN8vk_NH  🎥 Watch the story: https://lnkd.in/eKH8S8NM 🔍 Learn more about the vision and field-deployments behind SPARROW: https://lnkd.in/eeedBRw9 #SPARROW #AIForGood #ConservationTech #EdgeAI #OpenSource #Bioacoustics #Biodiversity #MicrosoftAI

#AI is transforming conservation. In his TED Conferences Ted Talk, Juan M. Lavista Ferres, CVP and Chief Data Scientist at Microsoft’s AI for Good Lab, reveals how AI-powered devices enable real-time ecosystem monitoring, accelerating efforts to protect #biodiversity. At GADALI Group, we believe in tech that drives purpose. Ready to explore how AI can power your #sustainability goals? Let’s talk: https://lnkd.in/gb8D8tqz #TechForGood #NotforProfit #Gadali

🌍 We’ve officially launched Project SPARROW! 🐦 SPARROW is an amazing new device set to revolutionize how we monitor #biodiversity. Using edge #AI processing and low Earth orbit satellite connectivity, it collects and transmits camera trap images, bioacoustic data, and environmental readings in near real time — even from the most remote locations on Earth. SPARROW is completely self-sustaining — no more manual data collection. All information is automatically transmitted to the SPARROW Dashboard, giving #conservationists instant access to the insights they need. This open-source solution empowers conservationists everywhere with faster, more accessible data — because #conservation moves at the speed of data. It’s incredible to see this vision come to life at the Microsoft AI for Good Lab, and I’ve been fortunate to work with an amazing team whose passion and expertise brought SPARROW to reality: Juan M. Lavista Ferres, Bruno Demuro, Zhongqi Miao, Isai Daniel Chacon Silva, Daniela Ruiz, Andrés Adolfo Hernández Celis, Luana Marotti, Laura Hoffman, Rahul Dodhia, Scott McCullers, Catherine Romero, Amy Michaels, Anthony Cintron, MBA, Meygha Machado, Federico Alves, Allen Kim, Inbal Becker-Reshef, and Ursula Hardy. 🎥 Watch the amazing TED Talk by Juan M. Lavista Ferres to learn more about how SPARROW is transforming the way we monitor and protect global #biodiversity: 👉 https://lnkd.in/erGsrG6h We’ll be continuing to build and evolve SPARROW’s capabilities, so stay tuned for more updates. 🔗 Explore the open-source project here: https://lnkd.in/gDy3aqTj 🔍 For full details of the project, check: https://lnkd.in/dAfyWngG #AIForGood #ConservationTech #Biodiversity #EdgeAI #OpenSource #ProjectSPARROW #Microsoft

Excited to explore how AI is reshaping how business engages with nature. A new report from Google and the World Resources Institute (WRI) – AI for Nature – highlights how artificial intelligence is breaking open long-standing barriers to environmental action. 🌍 It argues it is not theory, it is already being deployed: - Satellite + AI platforms are helping governments prevent illegal fishing. - Conservationists are using image and sound recognition to detect endangered species. - Indigenous communities are receiving real-time alerts to stop illicit logging on their lands. What’s striking is the shift: from static reporting to dynamic, predictive nature risk systems. The challenge isn’t data. It’s integration, governance, and trust. This matters because investors, regulators and communities increasingly expect nature to be part of business risk registers, CapEx planning, and supply chain due diligence. AI is fast becoming a core enabler of Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD)-aligned decision-making — and it’s moving quickly from pilots to scalable platforms. The full report is worth a read → https://lnkd.in/gdkUBwbV 💬 Keen to hear from others working at the intersection of biodiversity and tech: What tools are you using? What barriers do you face in implementation? Where do you see real ROI or resilience gains? Let’s connect the dots. #NaturePositive #TNFD #AIForNature #ESG #Sustainability #DataForGood #ClimateAndNature #DigitalSustainability

New World Resources Institute paper on AI for Nature examining the role of artificial intelligence in understanding and protecting the natural world. The paper outlines how AI can be applied to environmental monitoring, biodiversity mapping, and land-use planning, while also identifying the social, ethical, and governance challenges that accompany these technologies. The need to manage and reduce the large climate and water footprint of AI is not a focus of this paper. It is part of WRI's work on transitioning energy systems to clean, reliable, affordable, and low carbon.

New Paper 🌎 Corporate biodiversity reporting can be scaled with AI and Earth observation – but will miss the point without guidance from conservation scientists Read the full open access article: bit.ly/4oLw0XD In the past few years, a number of voluntary and mandatory nature reporting frameworks have emerged. These frameworks prompt companies to collect data on the state of nature and multifaceted impacts on complex ecosystems. In many cases, they offer limited guidance on how to do so. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Earth Observation (EO) are powerful tools to support efficient and actionable nature reporting. For effective use, companies need guidance from the scientific community to identify meaningful yet scalable metrics for data collection, responsibly apply AI-enabled EO to reporting workflows, and enable the reporting workforce. Planet and our co-authors are excited to share a new review on this topic published in Conservation Letters. #AI #EarthObservation #NatureReporting #Conservation

MIT's 2025 CODA method research highlights AI deployment challenges in environmental monitoring across North America, Europe, and Asia, with data variability and funding gaps affecting regional adoption and business strategies.As

Just came across this really exciting solution: a new deep‑learning framework called THEMEDA that can forecast how land‑cover is likely to change over the next years, especially in complex ecosystems like Australia’s savannas. What caught my attention: - It uses decades of satellite‑derived data (rainfall, fire scars, soil properties, elevation) to train the model so it understands how nature really behaves. - The model delivers probabilistic predictions: we’re not just getting “what will happen” but “how likely each scenario is” — which is hugely valuable for planning. - It managed a pixel‑wise accuracy of 93.4% in validation tests for food‑and‑agriculture class predictions, which is strong for this domain. - The approach highlights the power of combining #ArtificialIntelligence with #RemoteSensing and #BigData to tackle environmental challenges. Why this matters: Because land‑cover change affects biodiversity, carbon stocks, ecosystem services, agriculture and a lot of the time we react to these changes rather than anticipate them. Having a tool that offers a window into likely futures gives decision‑makers a chance to be proactive. For anyone working in #Sustainability, #LandUse, #ClimateAction or #EcoTechnology this kind of capability is a game‑changer. If you’d like to know more about it, check it out below. https://lnkd.in/d9DyRJwA